Apple’s next iOS update is expected to arrive as early as this week, and with it will likely come a handful of new features, bug fixes, and some Black History Month Designs for your iPhone. Public beta testershowever, have already had access to the iOS 16.3 beta.
As always, we recommend downloading a beta only on something other than your primary device. As these are betas of iOS 16.3, features may be buggy and your device’s battery life may be shortened, so it’s best to keep betas on a secondary device.
If you’re a public beta tester, here’s what’s new in iOS 16.3 beta software. Note that the beta is still ongoing, so these likely won’t be the only new features to land on your iPhone when iOS 16.3 officially releases.
Apple Maps helps you find nearby parking options
Book a parking spot before you leave your home so you don’t have to drive around looking for a spot.
Screenshot by Zach McAuliffe/CNET
If you use Apple Maps to get directions to a location, you can now find nearby parking in Maps. When you are looking for a place to go, you can press Following (…) and press Car park. This opens SpotHero, an online service that helps you find, book, and pay for a parking space at a nearby garage or parking lot. You can also reserve a spot through SpotHero. However, this feature is only available in certain cities.
New ways to use Emergency SOS via satellite
Satellite emergency SOS was introduced to Apple’s 2022 event in September. The new beta software brings new ways to use the service on your iPhone.
In iOS 16.3 beta 2, the Call waiting the option has been replaced by Call with wait and release. If you activate Call with wait and release, you can press and hold the side button and a volume button to trigger a countdown timer and an alarm. After the countdown, you release the buttons and your iPhone will call emergency services on its own. Before with Call waiting, press the side button and a volume button to bring up the emergency SOS call slider. If you continue to hold the buttons, a countdown starts and an alarm sounds. After the countdown is over, your phone would make an emergency call.
There is also an option to Call quietly in Emergency SOS. By enabling this option, when you try to make an emergency SOS call, your phone will not start flashing or sound an alarm.
Security keys are coming to Apple ID
With the beta software, users will be able to use third-party security keys instead of two-factor authentication for their Apple ID.
Security keys are a lot like your house keys. You’re still using passwords, but that extra layer of security can help protect you from phishing scams and hackers.
“Hardware security keys are very, very secure,” said Diya Jolly, product manager at authentication services company Okta. Deadline’s Stephen Shankland.
Security keys further protect your device.
Screenshot by Zach McAuliffe/CNET
Apple’s security keys feature only works with FIDO Alliance certified security keys.
New HomePod transfer prompts
Beta testers who have a Apple HomePod will show new messages when trying to use Delivery to transfer music, podcasts or phone calls to the speaker. The posts explain in more detail how Handoff works with your HomePod.
A message asks you to bring your iPhone closer to the HomePod to display the controls or to transfer your audio to the HomePod. Another message says you can bring your iPhone closer to your HomePod later to see those same controls or to transfer music.
These are the main new features that beta testers will see in the iOS 16.3 beta. That doesn’t mean these are the only features coming in the next iOS update. Apple will likely add more features before the release of iOS 16.3.
For more information on iOS 16, see the new features in iOS 16.2 and iOS 16.1. here’s how sign up to test Apple’s iOS beta softwarealso.
Look at this:
iOS 16: Powerful Features You May Have Missed
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